Talking modern cards.........say 90's and newer, would you rather have a "graded" 9 mint card of a player or an ungraded of the same card (taking into consideration condition to the naked eye looked good). I know some just flat out don't collect graded cards, but I am having a hard time talking myself into wanting a slabbed 9 versus an ungraded of the same player\card.

Personally - I always opt for BGS 9 rather than ungraded. The reasoning varies depending on my intentions with the card.

Here's how I look at it - when buying the card, BGS 9's usually run about the same price as a ungraded card without obvious defects. I would rather buy the BGS 9 because

1. I know what I'm getting (Vs. "I THINK I know what I'm getting")
2. Protection during shipping because some people don't know how to package and/or ship cards.

Once I have the card, my intention is either PC or resale.

If it's PC, I'd rather have the graded card for protection purposes. Besides, I can always submit for a bump or crack and resubmit.

If it's resale, I would still opt for the graded version because, while a BGS 9 gets about the same $$$ as an ungraded without obvious flaws, it has been my experience that the BGS 9 will sell more readily on the secondary market.

Personally - I always opt for BGS 9 rather than ungraded. The reasoning varies depending on my intentions with the card.

Here's how I look at it - when buying the card, BGS 9's usually run about the same price as a ungraded card without obvious defects. I would rather buy the BGS 9 because

1. I know what I'm getting (Vs. "I THINK I know what I'm getting")
2. Protection during shipping because some people don't know how to package and/or ship cards.

Once I have the card, my intention is either PC or resale.

If it's PC, I'd rather have the graded card for protection purposes. Besides, I can always submit for a bump or crack and resubmit.

If it's resale, I would still opt for the graded version because, while a BGS 9 gets about the same $$$ as an ungraded without obvious flaws, it has been my experience that the BGS 9 will sell more readily on the secondary market.

Just my .02 (and probably worth less than that )

This is pretty much the way I think. Might as well take the sure 9 and avoid any drama or risk. One lying seller or one accidental ding and you'll wish you had the slabbed BGS 9!

How do you guys recommend inspecting cards from your collection(s) before sending them in? I mean the obvious edges\centering\corners......how do you check the surface?

Get it under a light and you will be able to see things like small dots, scratches, etc. One thing you can do is wipe it down gently to remove some stuff. What's left after are the surface flaws. As long as they are minimal it's fine to have some. For some cards like Chrome a perfect surface is pretty tough to get.